The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-12
Accompanied by an Elaborate and Carefully
Induce Him to Withhold His Signature.
The Measure Pronounced Vague and In
definite in Many Of Its Provisions,
And Characterized as Law the Execution Of
Which Would Surely Tend to Place Pre-
MUM on Dishonesty and Mendacity.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-THE Presidents mes
sage to the House, in returning to that body the
dependent pension bill, was received late this
afternoon. Its reading produced decided SEN
sation. The bill was passed by the House, on
Jan. II. under suspension of the rules, the vote
standing-yeas $50, nays 76. It was passed by
the Senate, on Jan. 2s without division. The
large affirmative vote obtained for the bill in the
House encourages its friends to hope that they
can again pass it, notwithstanding the Presi-
dents objections. The chances tor its passage
in the Senate over the veto considered slim.
Following is the text of the Presidents message:
ssTo the House of Representatives:
II herewith return, without my approval,
House bill No 10457, entitled An Act for the
Relief of Dependent Parents and Honorably Dis
charged Soldiers and Sailors who are now Dis
abled and Derendent upon their own Labor
for Support This is the first general bill that
has been sanctioned by the Congress, since the
close of the late civil war. permitting pension
TO the soldiers and sailors who served in that
war upon the grounds of service and present
disability alone, and in the entire absence of
any injuries received by the casualties or Incl
dents of such service
While by almost constant legislation since
the close of this war there has been compensa
tion awarded for every possible injury received
as result Of military service in the Union
| army, and while great number OF laws passed
| for that purpose have been administered with
great liberalitv. and have been supplemented by
numerous private acts to reach special cases,
! there has not until now, been avowed depart
ure from the principle thus far adhered to re-
| specting Union soldiers, that the bounty of the
| government in the way of pensions is generously
| bestowed when granted to those who. in this
military service. and in the line of military duty.
| have. to greater or less extent, been disabled.
| But it is mistake to suppose that service pen
| sons, such are permitted by the second sec
| rion of the bill under consideration, are new to
| our legislation. In 1918. thirtyfve years after
| the close of the Revolutionary war. there we're
granted to the soldiers engaged in that struggle,
| conditional upon service until the end of the
| war, or for term not less than
nine months, and requiring every beneficiary
! under the act to be one, who is, hereafter by
reason of his reduced circumstances in life shall
| be, in need of assistance from his country for
! support Another law of a like character was
passed in 1923, requiring service until the close
OF the Revolutionary var; and still another.
passed in 1882, provided for those persons not
included in the previous statute, but who served
| two years at some time during the war, and Civ
| ing proportionate sum to those who had served
not less than six months. service pension law
was passed for the benefit of tho soldiers of 1912
in the year l87l-fiftysx years after the close
of that war-which required only fourteen days
| service. The service pension bill passed at this
| session of Congress, thirty nine years after the
close of the Mexican war, FOR the benefit OF the
| soldiers of that war, requires either some degree
| Of disability or dependency, or that the claim
years of age; and, in either case that he should
have served sixty days. or been actually engaged
! in a battle
1T will be seen the bin of 1918 and the Mex
| ican pension bill, being thus passed nearer the
close of the wars in which its benefciares we're
engaged than the otbers-one thirty FIVE years
and the other tnirty-nine years after the termin
| alton of such wars-embraced persons who were
quite advanced in age assumed to be compare
| lively few in number. and whose circumst anceS,
| dependence and disabilities we're clearly defined
and could oe quite easily fixed. The other laws
| referred to appear to have been passed at q time
so remote from the military service of the per-
sons which they embraced that their extreme
age alone was deemed to supply presumption
of dependency and need. The number Of en-
! listments in the Revolutionary war is stated to
be 300, 19l, and in the war of 1872, .622; but
it is estimated that or account of repeated re-
enlistments :ne number of individuals engaged
in these wars did not exceed one-nalf the
number represented by the figures. In the war
with Mexico the number of enlistments is re-
ported to be liz 230. which represents greater
proportion of individuals engaged than the re-
ported enlistments in the two previous wars
The number Of pensions granted under all laws
to soldiers of the Revolution ls given at 62, 069:
to soldiers OF the war Of 1912 and their widows.
COLTS, and to soldiers of the Mexican war and
tbet widows. up to June 80, 1885, 76l9 This
number of pensions granted to the soldiers
OF war involving much hardship for dsabili-
ties incurred as result of such service, and it
was not till within the last month that the few
pension
THE war of the Rebellion terminated twenty
two years ago; the number of men furnished for
its prosecution is stated to be 2. 772, 40S. No
corresponding number of statutes have ever been
passed to cover every kind of injury or disa-
bility incurred in the military service Of any
! war. Under these statutes SCI, $40 pensions
have been granted from the year 1861 to June 30.
1885, and more than 1900 pensioners have been
added to the rolls by private acts passed to meet
cases. many of them OF questionable merit,
which the general laws dii not cover On the
first day of July 1856. 800. 763 pensioners of all
classes were upon the pension rolls, of whom
305, COS were survivors OF the war of the Rebel
lion and their widows and DEFENDANTS. For the
year ending June 80. 1887. $75, 600 900 have been
appropriated for the payment of pensions. and
| the amount expended fer that purpose from 1861
to July /, 1885, is $808, ,624 SILL 81. While an
nually paying out such vast sum sor pensions
already granted. it is now proposed by the bill
under consideration, to award service pension
| to tho soldiers of all wars in which the United
States has been engaged. including, of course.
the cf the Rebellion and to pay those en-
titled to the benefits, Of the. act the
sum of sl2 per per month month So far as il
civil war, the bounty it affords them is given
thirteen years earller than it has been furnished
, to the soldiers of any other war, and before
large majority of its bsneficiaries have advanced
in age beyond the strength and yigor of the
prime of life.
, sit exacts only military or naval service O,
three months, without any requirement of actua
engagement with an enemy in battle. and with
out subjection to any of the actual dangers o
/ war. The pension it awards is allowed to en-
listed men who have not suffered the least in
jury, disability. loss damage of any kind in
Cured or in any degree referrable to their mil
itary service, including those who never reached
the front ct all and those discharged from reu
dezyors at the close of the war; if discharged
three months after enlistment Under the last
call of tho President for troops. in December
mi fpr al vvho fh,,s